Even ambassadors abroad are royalty, including Prince Turki al-Faisal, the ambassador in London who, until 2001, was head of the Department of General Intelligence. Prince Bandar is the country’s envoy in Washington.But the House of Saud faces multiple threats. Many of the younger princes are frustrated with the older generation, whom they consider sclerotic, corrupt and slavish to the United States and its interests, despite the withdrawal of American troops from Saudi soil, ending a presence that began after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein.And then there is the shadow of Osama bin Laden. A Saudi national and scion of a powerful business family, but not related to the royal family, he attracts support for his disdain for the rulers from across Saudi society and even in the younger ranks of the royal household.

Bin Laden is the voice of those who believe that, as the land of Mohamed, Saudi Arabia should be an Islamic theocracy.”If an election were held today … Osama bin Laden would be elected in a landslide,” Robert Baer, a former CIA field director and author of The Fall of the House of Saud, has suggested. “Saudi oil is controlled by an increasingly bankrupt, criminal, dysfunctional, and out-of-touch royal family that is hated by the people it rules and by the nations that surround its kingdom.”The monarchy has promised steps towards democracy, but little action has been taken. There are doubts that promises of elections in 14 municipalities this year will be honoured.

This is a country that has been without electoral democracy for nearly a century and critics remain sceptical.Saudi Arabia operates only by the skills of expatriates, most of them non-Muslim and Western. But the terrorists are instilling such fear that eventually every expatriate will flee. But when they are gone, who will keep Saudi Arabia working? And if it becomes dysfunctional, what will the House of Saud do?. Saudi authorities, facing mounting anger over the escape of three suspected al-Qa’ida militants who participated in the bloody hostage-taking at an oil company compound, set up roadblocks across the kingdom yesterday and vowed to catch the fugitives before they could strike again. In the official version, the three used some of their surviving hostages as human shields to get away as the commandos pounced at dawn on Sunday.According to at least one eyewitness, however, the men were seen in Dammam, six miles north of Khobar, two and a half hours before the commandos moved into the Oasis compound and released more than 200 people, including dozens of hostages who were held during the 25-hour siege.An employee at the compound said he had been told by the hostages that the three men promised not to harm the 41 people they were holding at gunpoint if they were allowed to escape. He will initially stay in an official guest mansion in Pretoria at taxpayers’ expense.Mr Aristide fled an armed revolt in Haiti on 29 February and was flown to the Central African Republic on a flight arranged by the US amid speculation he hoped to settle in South Africa. He travelled to Jamaica to be reunited with his children and to arrange exile elsewhere.

South Africa approved his asylum request two weeks ago after a request from Caricom and following talks with the African Union.Mr Mbeki’s opponents say he has turned a blind eye to Mr Aristide’s deplorable human rights record.But Aziz Pahad, the South African Deputy Foreign Minister, said Mr Mbeki had agreed to host Mr Aristide temporarily “as a contribution towards stabilising the situation in Haiti”. He added: “South Africa has a responsibility as an African country and as part of the international community to ensure that democracy and peace prevail in Haiti and that the people of Haiti are able to choose who their leaders should be.”. “How grateful we are for the opportunity to thank President Mbeki, the government and people of South Africa,” said Mr Aristide, adding his family was happy to be on the “mother continent of Africa” until it becomes possible for them to return to Haiti.Mr Aristide, who insists that he remains his country’s elected president and has accused Haiti’s new government of harassing and killing his supporters on the Caribbean island, is in South Africa for an indefinite period. Aristide should go home.” He added that South Africa had no business to worry about Mr Aristide.While in Jamaica, Mr Aristide was gagged from speaking to media, but the government has hinted that this will not be the case here as “South Africa is a free country”.Mr Aristide, who flew to South Africa accompanied by Kingsley Mamabolo, Mr Mbeki’s envoy on African affairs, and representatives from Jamaica, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the US Congressional Black Caucus, thanked his hosts in English and Zulu. Douglas Gibson, a DA spokesman, said in a statement: “Haiti is far beyond our sphere of influence. His government also tried to ship arms to Mr Aristide while he was in power and has backed a UN investigation into allegations that America drove him from power as part of its “regime-change” philosophy. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is particularly incensed by the huge budget the South African government will allocate for Mr Aristide’s upkeep.